Nepal calls for boosting trade, tourism ties

Nepal's Ambassador Rita Dhital has urged for stronger trade, investment and tourism relations between Pakistan and Nepal. Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), she proposed direct air links, regular trade delegations, single-country exhibitions and business-to-business matchmaking to boost economic ties.

Direct air connectivity, she noted, would facilitate business travel, tourism and people-to-people contacts. Dhital emphasized that while Nepal and Pakistan share a long history of warm relations, their economic and commercial ties have not yet matched their political and diplomatic relationship. The two nations signed a trade agreement in 1982, established a joint economic commission in 1983, and signed agreements on avoiding double taxation in 2001.

A joint business council between the two chambers was also established in 1996. Dhital encouraged businesses in both countries to operationalize existing agreements and MoUs through regular exchanges and concrete commercial initiatives. She pointed out that Pakistani investors had previously set up joint ventures in Nepal's textile, hotel and banking sectors.

Textiles, leather products and surgical equipment were identified as potential areas of cooperation for Pakistani businesses, while Nepal could export tea, coffee, herbs, handicrafts, and agricultural products to Pakistan. Tourism and hospitality were also highlighted as major areas of cooperation, with Pakistani companies encouraged to explore Nepal's growing tourism sector.

The ambassador invited LCCI leadership and members to lead a trade delegation to Nepal and offered support for Pakistani businesses organizing single-country exhibitions in Nepal. LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol noted that bilateral trade between the two nations averaged just over USD 4 million, far less than the potential given the strong relations between the two countries.

Trade data showed Pakistan exported around USD 1.4 million to Nepal and imported around USD 2.8 million from Nepal in 2025-26. Saigol suggested that Nepal's Mount Everest and Pakistan's K2 could become a focal point for joint ventures in hospitality and ecotourism, potentially attracting international tourists to a South Asian adventure tourism corridor.